


Legend of the Final Era, the Accursed Sword

by Flufux



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst and Humor, F/F, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, Female Relationships, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:44:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5902345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flufux/pseuds/Flufux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a Hyrule where the power-mad Wind Mage Vaati is sitting on the throne, a simple farmgirl living in the backwater village of Ordon by the name of Zelda suddenly has her life turned upside down when she finds out that she is the destined ruler of the land. Even worse: Vaati and his many minions (including the Demon Lord Ghirahim) are out for her blood...literary. </p><p>Faced with this new destiny, and with no Link around to save her, Zelda must learn to become a hero herself and face the first horrors of the Final Era with nothing but her wisdom and courage. </p><p>All the while, a dark presence is lurking in the shadows, and the truth of the dreaded 'Accursed Sword' that Vaati is wielding is revealed to be far greater and more menacing than anyone could have imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The New Princess

**Legend of the Final Era, the Accursed Sword**

 

* * *

**Prologue: The New Princess**

Hyrule, a land besieged with legends, where fantastical creatures and magic exists, a land like no other. For centuries upon centuries this land had been shining its path throughout the ages as a beacon of hope for the world, but…it has also held a dark curse in its wake.

Ever since Hyrule was founded almost 2 000 years ago, the infamous Cycle of Darkness has plagued it. Whenever the land found a state of peace and prosperity, a powerful force of darkness would attempt to take the land for itself and consume the world in shadow. But whenever that happened, a hero chosen by destiny would rise up and strike down this evil and prevent the coming apocalypse.

However, there was a prophecy, one that was long forgotten by most. It was the Legend of the Final Era, a time when the age-old Cycle of Darkness would forever change and Hyrule's destiny would finally be decided. The nightmares that had long hidden in the shadows would all emerge to challenge the world once again, but the one who would face them would _not_ be the Hero of Legend. Instead…a new hero, one few would expect, was going to rise in his place and prove her worth to the world she was sworn to protect.

This is the tale of how this unexpected hero found her calling.

* * *

It all began in the most important structure known in Hyrule, the ancient and majestic fortress simply known as Hyrule Castle: the home of the prestigious Royal Family. Only now, the family was about to change forever.

It was in the middle of the night and a thunderstorm was raging over the castle. Heavy rain and numerous loud booms of sound created by the thunderbolts above could be heard even in the deepest parts of the stone structure.

In the Queen's bedroom deep in the castle, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and pointed ears was lying in her bed cradling a newborn girl wrapped up in a pink blanket. A young woman with tanned skin, red irises, short blonde hair with a single long braid sticking out of it, and with a painted red eye with a tear painted on her forehead, was sitting at her bedside.

 

The tanned woman was the one to ask "So…what are you going to call her?"

The other woman looked at the sleeping form of the baby in her arms and answered "I want her to have my name. I want her to be a Zelda. Does that…sound good to you, Impa?"

"Yes, yes it does…"

A long pause followed after that as neither of them could think of anything to say. But eventually, Impa broke the silence.

"Do you want me to get the king? I'm sure he would like to know the name you chose for his daughter."

But the older woman slightly shook her head and answered "No, I need you to be here. And…can I just have this moment…without him."

"But…he _is_ your husband."

"And yet I have never loved him in the way a wife should. You know I never wanted to marry him in the first place, but if not for him, this baby girl wouldn't be here."

She enforced that point by gently patting the baby on the head.

Impa had a slightly crestfallen look on her face as she said "My queen…I mean Zelda, I am so sorry."

"For what?"

"For not being the one you wanted me to be. You know that if I could, I would have gladly spared you the pain of marrying someone you didn't love just to be able to give birth to a child. And I…I still…care about you…even after all that happened."

Queen Zelda put a comforting hand on Impa's cheek and looked in her eyes before she assured "I feel the same, Impa. But we both know that I had to do what I had to do, no matter what feelings I may have for you."

"I know putting feelings aside for duty more than most. As a member of the Sheikah tribe, that is something I know all too well. But that doesn't stop me from wanting more than…this."

"One day, Impa, your people will be freed, I promise you. I only hope that that will happen during your lifetime so that you too can feel what freedom is like."

Impa remained silent as she thought about that. Then she decided to change the topic.

"Zelda, you don't have much time left. You have to give me one last order, one last command. I'm not saying this because you're my queen, but because you're my friend."

Zelda looked at the red-eyed woman for a few seconds before she slowly handed over the baby to her. Impa understood what she wanted and as gently as she could, she placed the Queen's daughter in her arms.

She then explained "I want you to look after her in that case. I want you to protect her as if she was your own. Keep her safe, no matter what."

Impa nodded and assured "I promise you that."

"Good. Because I think she will need your protection, especially considering what is about to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"It's my dreams. I don't think it will be long until they start to come true. A storm is brewing. The horrors that we have long thought defeated are going to creep back from the shadows. Worst of all, I think… _she_ will return."

Impa's eyes widened at that, and she had a certain uneasy tone when she asked "Are you sure?"

"No, of course not, but…I cannot help but feel that she's not only real, but also coming back. And she won't be coming alone. I saw so many shadows…all wanting to destroy everything that my family has worked so hard to build. _Hers_ though, her presence overshadowed them all."

"Maybe…maybe it isn't to be taken literally. Maybe her presence in your dream was just symbolic of the darkness that she once brought into this world. After all, the Goddess of Darkness has never proven to be anything more than legend."

"I hope that you're right, for my daughter's sake. For the dreams also made it clear that she would the one to face these horrors. That is also why I need you to watch over her, to prepare her for what she will have to face."

"Then that is what I'll do, I won't break that promise."

"I know you won't."

Another silence passed between them, one that was only broken when Zelda slowly began to close her eyes.

With a panicked tone, Impa called "Zelda!"

The Queen struggled a little to keep her eyes open, but when she did, she revealed "I…I can feel myself…slipping away. There is…something I must…pass on before it's…too late."

Impa knew what she wanted, and held out the baby so she could reach her. With the last strength she had left, Zelda placed her left hand on her daughter's and closed her eyes. Soon enough, the mark of three glowing triangles appeared on the back of the Queen's hand, with the one on the bottom left glowing brighter than the rest. Then, the mark disappeared, only to reappear on the same position on the baby's hand.

With that done, Impa turned her attention back on Queen Zelda…only to see no sign of movement at all from her. The Sheikah then reached a hand out and put it on the Queen's neck.

There was no pulse. She was dead.

Impa did not cry. Like all Sheikahs, she had trained long and hard in order to control her emotions, even in times like this. Her mentor, a man called Ozshen, was a strict and unforgiving teacher, always pushing Impa to her limits. A long time ago, she hated him for being so harsh on her, but now…she actually appreciated the things he taught her.

The life of a Sheikah was a painful one. All Sheikahs were expected to be completely selfless guardians willing to lay down their lives if it meant that the ones they had been assigned to protect would have even the slightest chance of being safer. Not only that, but the mysterious tribe had to carry the sins of their ancestors, the ancestors who turned against the harmony given by the goddesses and slaughtered and corrupted millions in their own selfish hunt for the sacred power that was never meant to ever be used.

Queen Zelda on the other hand…she had long wished for a better future for the Sheikah Tribe. According to her, they had paid for their crimes long ago and should no longer have to burden themselves with keeping the Royal Family safe, especially at the cost of their own lives. Due to the numerous wars and dark forces rising up against Hyrule, countless Sheikahs had died while fighting for the role they had been forced to have for so long. Even to the point of where, by now, only a few Sheikahs remain alive.

Zelda had long wished for all of that to end, but with her death, those ideas might die with her. Impa dreaded if that was the case. But she also knew that she couldn't do anything about that. Queen Zelda was dead, but her newborn daughter wasn't, and for now, that was all that mattered.

The door behind Impa opened, and in stepped a slightly older man with a prominent white beard and hair, wearing a long red robe and a golden crown on his head. This was King Daltus Nohansen Gustaf Hyrule, the ruler of Hyrule and the husband of Queen Zelda. And as he saw the unmoving form of his wife on the bed in front of him, he slowly approached her while his eyes began to water.

Impa, knowing her place, respectfully moved out of the monarch's way and decided to wait in the room outside.

When the King laid a hand on the Queen's forehead and tried to feel any of the warmth he knew she had, he could only feel the coldness of someone who was no longer with him. While he knew she never loved him as much as he would have wanted, _he_ did love her more than anyone else. And as he realised that she was dead, he allowed his tears to flow free and began to cry his heart out.

However, while the King was busy mourning over the death of his wife, he did not notice that something very strange was happening in the skies outside.

* * *

For some reason, all of the lightning in the dark clouds above the castle began to converge on a single point. On the many watchtowers and sentry posts on the castle walls, numerous Royal Guards noticed the strange phenomenon and began to look for the source of it.

They were in for a surprise though when the clouds magically parted at that spot in the sky, revealing what was causing the anomaly.

It was a monster.

It was nearly as big as the castle itself, but far more menacing. It had a single gargantuan eye that burned red with malice, and that eye was decorated in delectable gold that formed into a crest that resembled a pair of glimmering horns. Dark purple hair flowed over the creature's body that burned like enchanted flames, two massive and very muscular arms covered in dark scales was also attached to it. However, it lacked legs and somehow used magic to sustain itself in the air.

When the beast revealed itself from its hiding place in the storm, the guards below could do nothing but stare at the creature with open eyes and slack jaws. None of them had any idea what it was or what to do about it, but they all knew that its presence was _not_ a good sign.

That prediction turned out to be very accurate when the monster unleashed a barrage of concentrated lightning bolts on all the watchtowers simultaneously, thus incinerating every single guard in them instantly. And while it let out more bolts to wreck other parts of the castle, the winds underneath it began to spiral faster and faster until the faint outline of a tornado began to manifest.

* * *

When the King inside the castle heard the deafening sound of commotion, his eyes perked up and he tried to get a glimpse of whatever was going on through a window nearby.

But before he could get a proper look, the door behind him slammed open and Impa, still holding onto his daughter, shouted "Your Majesty, the castle is under attack! You must get to safety, NOW!"

King Daltus faced her and began to ask "Who is-" but was cut off when the entire roof was ripped off and sucked into a tornado that was tearing the castle to shreds.

The old monarch's eyes then fixed on the giant one-eyed creature that was sitting on top of it, and his face paled at the sight of it. He was so focused on the monster in his sights to even care about the cold rain pouring down his face from the broken roof.

When a horrible realisation dawned on him, he muttered "The Wind Mage…he has returned…"

Impa eventually snapped him out of it by yelling "COME ON! RUN! YOU CANNOT STAY HERE!"

The King immediately got his bearings together and followed the Sheikah out of the room while it collapsed behind him, burying Queen Zelda's body under several tonnes of stone.

Impa and King Daltus tried to run as fast as their legs could take them though the corridors as everything was collapsing around them. Guards and servants were either sucked into the nearby whirlwind, crushed under fallen debris or scrambling around desperately seeking a way out of the castle.

While Impa could run a lot faster than the average person, even while cradling a newborn, the King was older and far less athletic than her, and had a hard time keeping up. By the time they reached a long hallway where the roof had already been destroyed, he just couldn't keep running and was forced to stop to catch his breath.

When he did so however, Impa asked "What are you doing!? We don't have time to stop!"

The King however, instead ordered "No. You won't make it if you have to haul me around. Save yourself…and my daughter, don't let anything happen to her."

"But Your Majesty-"

"Do not let _anything_ happen to her, and that's an order!"

Impa was about to retort again, but instead bit her tongue and said "I'll die before I let her get hurt."

"Pray you won't have to. Too many have already died today. Now go! Get her out of here!"

The Sheikah finally heeded his order and began to run with the young princess towards the broken down door at the end of the hallway.

But before she got close enough, the beast above swooped down with tremendous speed and landed right in Impa's path, with the resulting shockwave of wind caused by the monster's landing nearly knocking her off her feet.

Its giant eye stared directly at Impa with a focus that made it feel to her if it was looking directly into her soul. That look alone was enough to freeze her in her tracks. But…she soon noticed something: it wasn't staring at her, it was staring at the baby in her arms.

At that moment, the young princess opened her eyes and saw the massive red eye look at her. That image alone was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

The gargantuan one-eyed monster then suddenly dissolved into purple plasma that reformed into the shape of a man, a man with knee-length silky lavender-coloured hair with a long bang hiding almost half of his face. He also had very pale skin with a black 'T' shaped marking under his left eye that had a red iris like Impa had. He was wearing a long purple robe that was tinted in gold with a symbol of an eye in his chest, and underneath it he had a set of golden more-fashionable-than-functional armour with red fabrics underneath that.

When King Daltus saw this man, he knew exactly who it was. A few months ago, a peculiar man claiming to be the Prince of the Wind Tribe attended a social gathering for royals of all kingdoms, and with his gentlemanly charm and handsome appearance, he managed to convince Princess Alenia, the King's sister, to marry him. But now he had shown his true colours, and the true name this individual was known by.

"Prince Vaati. Or should I say…Vaati the Wind Mage?" The King asked with passive aggressiveness written on his face.

Vaati just giggled mischievously and commented "Heehehehe, took you long enough to figure out who I truly am. I mean really, did you seriously believe me when I said I was the Prince of the Wind Tribe? The Wind Tribe doesn't even exist anymore, not since I took their palace and their culture away from them. There are only remnants left of them now."

Impa began to slowly back away from him while the King did the opposite, something that wasn't unnoticed by Vaati.

"Don't take another step, Sheikah! That child belongs to me."

The Wind Mage's words made her stop, but she still kept a wary eye on him.

The King then decided to ask "What do you want, sorcerer?"

"What I've always wanted: the power worthy of a god. Your daughter embodies one of the most powerful sources of magic in the world: The Light Force. A long time ago I acquired about half of it, but I was interrupted by a pesky so-called 'hero' and sealed away inside that infernal Four Sword for centuries. Now, I've returned to finish what I started, and I will _not_ be denied!"

King Daltus knew he wouldn't stand a chance against the power-crazed sorcerer in front of him, but he knew he had to do something. Impa _could_ hold her own against someone that powerful, but she was at the moment too busy keeping the newborn princess safe, and she was also the only one who could run fast enough to get her out of this place. And with that reasoning, the old monarch knew what to do.

He picked up a sword one of the guards dropped earlier in the chaos, looked at Impa and ordered "Get her as far away as possible and don't stop for anything, not even me. Now go!"

Not needed to be told twice, Impa sprinted as fast as she could towards the nearest exit, prompting Vaati to shout "Hey, I never said you could leave!"

The King positioned himself between her and Vaati while threatening "Stay back, villain! Know that I will not hesitate to cut you down if you so much as lay a finger on my daughter."

"Cut me down? Hehehehehehaha! Is that supposed to scare me? I have lived for more than a millennium, I have surpassed death itself, and you're trying to kill me with a simple sword? Bad things tend to happen to those who stand in my way, just ask Princess Alenia."

Those words sent a cold shiver down the King's spine and made him ask "What have you done to my sister?!"

Vaati smiled wickedly while he reached into his robe and picked out a crown similar to the one the King was wearing and tossed it over to him. When Daltus could see it up close, he immediately recognised it as the one his sister Alenia used to wear, only…there was a stain of blood on it.

The sight of the bloodstain, and what that meant, made the King's anger boil. He looked at Vaati with disdain as he held the sword he picked up in a ready stance, challenging the sorcerer to do the same.

Taking him up on that challenge, Vaati drew a sword from his belt, a sword that had a black handle with red gem at its hilt, a blade that glowed red while the edges were blue. It was clearly not a normal sword, and it even sparkled with magical energy.

"Come then, let's have this dance you and I." he offered with a smile on his face.

King Daltus didn't waste any time before he made the first move and ran at his opponent with his sword ready to kill. Vaati however didn't offer any kind of resistance and even deliberately left himself wide open, thus giving the King no problem with stabbing him straight through the heart.

But…to the King's surprise, Vaati didn't even flinch and kept the same smug smile on his face regardless of the fact that a sword was now stuck in his chest. Daltus let go of the sword and slowly took a few steps back in apprehension. Vaati then rolled his eyes and pulled the sword out of his torso with his free hand.

"You seriously thought a sharp edge alone would do anything to me? What do you think I am? Human?" Vaati questioned before he tossed the sword away as if it was garbage.

King Daltus' voice was one of shock when he asked "What…are you?"

"Soon I will be a god. Once I take your daughter off that Sheikah's hands, I will take good care of her until she's old enough, and then she will give the rest of the Light Force to me. And with that power flowing through my veins, there will be no limits to what I can do, none at all."

"You will fail. Demise, Ganondorf, Zant, they all tried to do what you're doing, and they all failed. Soon enough, a new hero will-"

Before he could say another word, Vaati silenced him off by stabbing him in the gut with his enchanted blade. It didn't kill him yet, but the pain stopped his talking.

The sorcerer then looked the King straight in the eyes and declared "Not this time. This time…he will fail first. Before I kill you though, I want to say…thank you. Thank you for making it so easy for me to take over. By introducing me to your weak-minded sister, you gave me access to the Royal Family, and in doing so gave me access to your precious daughter. After I'm done here, I will be seen as a hero for saving little Zelda from the monster that attacked the castle, but unfortunately, it was too late to save King Daltus as well."

Daltus managed to breathe out "Curse…you…Vaati…"

But Vaati ignored him and continued his villainous monologue.

"…Though I had to suffer some annoyances throughout it all, especially that sister of yours. Do you have any idea how unbearable she is? She kept talking, talking, talking, and more talking, and she wasn't even particularly attractive. I've met Miniblins less annoying than her, and Deku Scrubs infinitely more beautiful. When I rule this land, I can make any fair maiden I want fall in love with me. I won't need to be…wait, what am I doing? Oh no, you got me monologuing, how unbecoming of me."

He then sent a stream of magic through the sword into King Daltus' body, causing him to spontaneously combust into green flames that reduced him to nothing but dust within a few seconds.

With the Great ruler of Hyrule being nothing but a pile of ash on the floor, Vaati mocked "Long live the king…" before he transformed back into the giant one-eyed monster he was before.

* * *

During the time the King kept Vaati occupied, Impa had successfully navigated through the crumbling castle and just reached the other side of the walls when a massive boom resonated all over the place.

She took a peak behind her to see what was happening, and what she saw was Vaati's massive beast-form rise from the structure as it collapsed around him. The broken remains of the once impressive Hyrule Castle began to rise up into the sky as another tornado formed underneath the mad sorcerer.

Impa quickly put two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle that was heard by a white stallion horse that immediately ran to his owner's side. When he got close enough, Impa literary jumped onto the saddle on his back and with an assertive kick, she got the horse running as fast as he could towards the forests in the far distance.

However, Vaati spotted the retreating Sheikah quickly enough and immediately flew to intercept her, the tornado he summoned still following in his wake, sucking up anything in its path.

While Impa's steed ran as fast as his hooves would let him, it was clear that the approaching Wind Mage was gaining on them. She needed to do something to somehow slow him down or distract him in order to reach the treeline (which to be fair, wasn't very far from her).

She suddenly had an idea, one she wasn't sure she could pull off, but had no choice but to try. She closed her eyes slightly while she began to chant an incantation in a language that hadn't been commonly spoken for centuries. When she had finished it, a bow with a single golden arrow in it materialised in her hand, and she quickly turned around, drew the bowstring back, aimed for the eye of Vaati…and released it.

As Vaati didn't expect a mere Sheikah to be able to do anything to harm him in his ultimate form, he had prepared no defences for the arrow she shot, and as a result, was caught completely off-guard when a projectile filled with sacred magic hit him straight in his singular eye and blinded him with its sharp flash of pure light.

With Vaati temporarily disoriented by her surprise attack, Impa rode her horse into the nearby woods and disappeared into it before the Wind Mage could see where she had gone.

By the time Vaati got his bearings together, Impa, and the baby she was carrying, were gone. He had no possible way to track her down in the forest when it was this dark outside, and when he realised that, the thought of it made him scream in a deep voice that would be heard from miles away.

He then landed on the ground and reverted to his human form before spending a minute or so just breathing deeply as to exhale the rage that was building up inside him. To put it mildly: he was not in a good mood.

Suddenly, another figure materialised into existence behind him in a flash of glowing diamonds. The darkness of the night obscured the figure's appearance, but his voice was clear enough when he commented "I guess this is what happens when you insist on doing things on your own, Master. If you had included me, this-"

Vaati shut him up by warning "One more word and I'll turn you to stone!"

The figure made an exaggerated move of sealing his lips like a sipper as if to emphasise his determination to follow that order.

Vaati then turned to look at the ruins of the castle he just destroyed before noting "While this night didn't go the way I wanted it to, I suppose it isn't a total loss. With the King and Queen dead, I am the only remaining person who has authority over the Throne of Hyrule. And with all the resources of this pathetic country in my possession, Zelda won't be able to elude me for long. However, that all depends on if you can deliver on _your_ promise."

The mysterious figure jokingly made a few muffled noises as if his mouth had been sealed shut.

The Wind Mage simply gave an unamused glare at his associate's antics. And when he saw that, the associate in question made a move of sipping his mouth back before answering "Oh yes, the demon tribe is under my command for the most part."

"For the _most_ _part_?"

"The Bokoblins, Moblins, Miniblins, Darknuts and Wizzrobes have pledged their allegiance to you, as have a few higher level monsters such as Gomess, Façade, Morpha, Tentalus and even the Helmaroc King. A lot of the others were more on the fence. The Hinoxes were completely impossible to bargain with, the Bulblins demanded _way_ too much out of our budget, and the Poes were just not interested. Still, I think the forces we _do_ have will be more than enough."

"Then I will have to enforce my rule here for a little while, but as soon as that is over, I want every single creature under my command to search every inch of this world and find that…Zelda."

"As you wish, Master. Such a task will be beyond easy for a Demon Lord such as myself."

* * *

Three days later, in virtually the other side of Hyrule, there was a remote village nearly forgotten about by the rest of the land. Its name was Ordon, and was about the only place in the southern Faron Woods that wasn't completely covered in trees.

On a hill near the edge of the village, a couple in their twenties was watching the night sky while lying on the grass. The man had dirty blonde hair and noticeable moustache while his girlfriend had short and a little brighter blonde hair.

"What do you think is up there, Rusl?" the girl asked as her eyes focused on the stars above.

The man apparently called Rusl thought about that for a while until he answered "The home of the goddesses I presume. It was always said that Din, Farore and Nayru came to our world through the stars, and with their great power, created this world."

"But why would they do that?"

"Do what, Uli?"

"Create this world. Why would they come all the way from the stars just to do that?"

"I…I have no idea. But at least we can be grateful they did it."

"Do you think they are still watching over us? Or have they truly left us behind to return to whatever realm they came from?"

"I honestly don't think they're with us anymore, but I know for a fact that they gave us their virtues before they left."

"So what do you believe in, Wisdom, Courage or Power?"

"If I had to pick one, it would be Courage. The will, and the drive, to do what is necessary despite it all is something I admire."

"Hmm…then I would pick…Wisdom. While standing up for what you believe in is good, you need to know why you believe in those things and understand them."

Their conversation was ended when they heard the sound of footsteps behind them. Curious as to whom it was, Rusl and Uli were quick to get up and look at the person approaching them. They would expect one of their fellow villagers to may want to talk to them about something, but what they didn't expect to see was a tall tanned woman with tattoos on her skin practically limp over to them with a baby wrapped up in pink in her arms.

Uli immediately ran to this woman's side and helped her stand up with a supportive arm while asking "Are you okay? What happened to you?"

Impa didn't immediately answer her question and instead wordlessly handed over the baby to her, and as soon as the child was out of her hands, she fell to her knees and let out a deep, tired, breath.

Uli assumed she was just going to hold onto the baby to give Impa a chance to catch her breath, but that proved to not be the case.

Impa finally said "Zelda." out of the blue.

"What?" Uli questioned.

"Her name is Zelda."

"Okay, now I know that. Is she your daughter?"

"No, I'm not. Her parents are gone. I've been carrying her with me for almost three days by now. She needs a home, and I'm wondering…if she could live here…in this village?"

Rusl answered "Of course she could. But…I need to know what happened to her and her parents, and…who are you for that matter?"

"Call me…Sheik. As for what happened to her parents, I'm afraid I can't tell you that, not yet."

"Alright then, miss…Sheik, are you moving in here or something, because I will have talk to the mayor about that."

Impa stood up straight and shook her head before answering "No, I'm not. I can only protect her, not love her. She needs a family to call her own, she needs a life filled with the joy I could never give her. Actually, I was hoping you two could take care of her."

Both Rusl and Uli simultaneous gasped "US?!"

"If you can't take her, give her to someone who can, but know that I am not the one to do it."

Both of the would-be-parents could hardly decide what to do in this situation. While they had given children some measure of thought, neither one of them expected such a responsibility to suddenly fall down upon them out of nowhere like this. So, out of curiosity, Uli took a good look at the infant she was holding.

It was then that she noticed something about this child that could probably mean something to her future. "She has pointed ears…is she a Hylian?"

Impa nodded at that.

She knew that could cause some problem if she was to grow up in such a remote place as Ordon where long pointed ears were a rarity. But, when the child opened her large blue eyes, Uli couldn't help but be taken by them. That sealed it, and the woman made a decision.

She looked back at Impa and said "We'll keep her."

Those words brought a small smile on Impa's lips, and without another word, she turned away from them and walked back to the forest edge where her white horse was waiting.

Rusl took this moment to approach his girlfriend and ask "Are you sure about this? I don't know anything about taking care of such a small child."

Uli looked her boyfriend in the eye and revealed "Neither do I, but we can't just do nothing. Besides, I don't think there is anyone else here that would be better at taking care of her than us."

"But what will we do if she asks about her real parents?"

"Then we will tell her what we know, nothing more, nothing less. That is all we can do."

And as the young couple were preparing for the prospect of being parents, the gears of fate had begun to turn. One day, this child would grow up to be the one hope this world ever have, and her journey starts here…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Notes
> 
> Welcome ladies and gentlemen to 'Legend of the Final Era, the Accursed Sword'!
> 
> Now this is actually a rewrite of a story I published on 'Fanfiction-dot-net' awhile ago, and now decided to publish on this site in the best quality I could make it.
> 
> I also have a Deviantart page with a profile called 'Reptileman778' where I have uploaded a number of pictures relating to this story, though I may warn you that some of them do contain spoilers, and most of them will (at least on this site) be featured in the story itself.


	2. Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm**

18 years…

That was how much time had passed since Vaati's attack on Hyrule Castle.

During that time, the land of Hyrule had faced numerous changes few saw coming. Without a Royal Family to rule it, the charismatic and mysterious Prince Vaati was now the ruler of the ancient land. While many disagreed with the decision due to suspicions about the Prince's intentions, the old monarchy of Hyrule's rules were clear that he was the only one technically allowed to sit on the throne. And that was exactly what Vaati was counting on.

With the authority of the throne practically handed to him on a silver platter, the Sorcerer Prince replaced the undisciplined and feeble Hyrulean army with that of the ferocious demon tribes that had sworn loyalty to him. That was also when his authority was assured not by laws, but by fear. A cold, subtle fear, one that people wouldn't speak of, and one they could not prove.

Despite it all, none knew that the monster that attacked the castle that fateful night _was_ Vaati himself, or the fact that Prince Vaati and the dreaded Wind Mage from Hyrulean lore were one and the same.

However, another thing that the people of the land didn't know was that the last heir to Hyrule's throne was still very much alive.

* * *

In the remote backwater village of Ordon, the sun was just about to set on the horizon as it shone its warm rays on a ranch near the edge of the village. On that ranch, a young woman with sunny blonde hair and long pointed ears wearing some worn out farming clothes was lying on a stack of hay, sleeping soundly.

Underneath her closed eyelids, a constant movement of back and forth was faintly visible, thus indicating that she was dreaming about something.

In her dream, the woman was standing at the top of some kind of tower while holding a sword in her hand. She could see an entire army looking up at her from the ground below, but her focus was on the lavender-haired man standing in front of her.

When his red eyes met hers, a cold shill went down her spine as the image of the strange man was replaced by the hysterical sight of a giant eyeball burning red with malice. All the while, a maniacal laughter resonated through the dream that steadily got darker as it went.

"What in tarnation are you doin'!?"

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember who it was while she was still dreaming.

"Come on, Zelda, wake up already!"

That brought Zelda back to her senses, and she groggily opened her blue eyes to take in her surroundings. What she saw first was a young, but very tall, man staring at her with an almost panicked look on his face. Whatever it was that he was so anxious about, Zelda had no idea.

When she had woken up just a teensy bit more, Zelda groggily asked "Fado, is it goat herding again?"

The man apparently called Fado slapped his palm against his forehead and sighed before he answered "No, Ah need yer help with fixin' Ilia's house before the Royal Lord comes 'ere. Y'all promised to help me, so why am Ah findin' you sleazing away on some haystack on mah ranch? Ah've been lookin' for ya for hours!"

Zelda chose to spend the next few seconds just staring at Fado blankly while processing what he just said. But the moment she realised what that was, she immediately scrambled to her feet and exclaimed "The Royal Lord! Oh goddesses, I don't know what came over me, I just felt sort of sleepy after-"

Fado interrupted her and asked "Y'all just went and had a nap when we only have till tomorrow mornin' to repair Ilia's house before the lord gets 'ere?!"

"Look, I'm sorry about that. Like I said, I don't know _what_ happened."

"Well, ya better make up for that then! Come on, if we get started now we might make it before the sun sets. Let's just hope the mayor is in a forgivin' mood…fer both out sakes."

After saying that, Fado began to run back to the village proper, expecting her to follow.

Zelda muttered "This isn't good…" before she followed after him.

* * *

For the last five years had Zelda been working on Fado's ranch, a task that she frankly thought was a massive waste of her talents. Ever since she had been a young girl had she been very different from the others in the village. She enjoyed reading more than any other pass-time activity and had an uncanny ability to remember almost everything she read to the letter. And that was only one of the signs of her incredible intelligence and capacity for learning. Almost anything she tried, she could learn to master a lot faster than most, and this included chess, village politics, long-term winter planning and especially archery.

Unfortunately for her, this also made her stick out a fair bit. Her pointed ears only brought home that fact how different she was from the others, and that made her an easy victim of bullying. However, there was always one person who defended Zelda whenever someone picked on her, and that was her best friend Ilia.

Ilia was only a year older than Zelda and could be easily recognised by her odd haircut. It was relatively short and silver in colour, but formed the shape of a crescent moon at the back while being a bit of a mess in the other places. She was wearing a white sleeveless blouse with brown shorts while keeping her feet completely bare. She…didn't like shoes.

Ilia was leaning against the wooden railing at the entrance to her house while tapping her foot impatiently when Fado and Zelda came running towards her.

When she saw them, she asked "Zelda, Fado! What took you guys so long?"

Fado used a moment to catch his breath before he explained "Well, Ah spent nearly the entire afternoon lookin' fer Zelda here, only to then find out that she'd been sleepin' on the job!"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Zelda defended herself.

Fado was about to retort to that, but before he was given the chance, Ilia said "Fado, why don't you get started while I sort this out?"

The ranch owner scratched his neck and answered "Sure thing, Mayor." before he entered the house and left the two girls alone.

With Fado out of earshot, Ilia looked Zelda in the eye and asked "What happened?"

Zelda thought about that for a moment before she explained "I don't know why, but after supper I started to feel inexplicably sleepy, and I think I fell asleep on a haystack somewhere."

Ilia suddenly turned angry while clenching her fist and cursed "That blockheaded idiot…"

"Uh…what?"

"Groose. I could have sworn I saw him mess with your tea while I was preparing supper. He must have put something in it."

"A sedative? Now that's just rude. I better teach that good for nothing son of a-"

"Zelda, I will take care of him, you still have a job to do. Fado could use your help with making things look good for the inspection tomorrow. After all, you wouldn't want a representative of the throne to feel like we have bad manners or anything."

"That is if that 'representative of the throne' is nice to us as well. You know how those stuck-up royal brats can be."

"That I do. But I'm sure this guy won't be _too_ much of an issue."

"If you say so. Well, wish me luck, and…teach that pompadour-obsessed jerk a lesson, will you?"

"Sure thing."

While they were talking, a big brown owl landed on a tree in the background and kept a curious eye on Zelda from its vantage point.

With no knowledge of the mysterious owl, Zelda entered Ilia's house to get her responsibilities underway.

Yesterday, one of Fado's goats had run amok when Zelda was trying to help him herd them back into the barn, and as a result, the rampaging animal had barged into Ilia's house, nearly scaring the life out of her, and wrecked nearly everything inside. And as the two indirectly responsible for the mess, Zelda and Fado were obliged to clean it up.

After taking one look inside what remained of the main room, Zelda took a deep breath and said to herself "Alright, let's get started…"

* * *

Ilia had only been the Mayor of Ordon for two weeks, since her father Bo, who was her predecessor, had been called away to meet with the Gorons on Death Mountain and left her in charge. A decision that Ilia herself was not very happy about, especially considering the fact that she had far more experience dealing with animals than making important decisions about the village. But…if there was one mayor duty she could do well, it was reprimanding annoying troublemakers.

And the most infamous troublemaker in the village was none other than Groose, a heavily built young man with probably the most ridiculous haircut in all of Hyrule. On his head, he had a big red pompadour that he spent a lot of time and devotion to make sure it looked as 'perfect' as he could make it. Out of all the people that gave Zelda trouble during her life, Groose was the most persistent and relentless of the lot.

He and his best friend, a tall blonde guy called Strich who had a peculiar fascination with bugs, were casually leaning against a wooden fence while discussing their latest plan.

"You know Ilia will be pissed when she finds out about our latest prank, right?" Strich warned.

Groose simply waved his concerns off and questioned "Who says she will find out? I personally think it was a brilliant plan. With Zelda sleeping off the entire day and missing all the time in the world to get on with cleaning up the mess she made, Ilia will finally see that Hylian slob for who she really is. And when she realises what a useless friend she is, it is only a matter of time before she realises the greatness of the mighty Groose."

Suddenly, both of them were silenced when they heard Ilia ask "And why would I ever do that?!"

Groose's face turned to one of sudden terror when he realised that she had heard what he said, and he quickly faced her and asked "Hey, Ilia, uhmm…how long have you been standing there?"

Ilia promptly stomped over to him and answered "Long enough to know about your latest scheme! I mean, a sedative, that's low…even for you."

Groose pointed at his friend and accused "It was _his_ idea, not mine!"

" _I_ created the sedative, _you_ decided to use it." Strich clarified

"Hey, what side are you on, traitor?!"

Before Strich could say anything in his defence, Ilia asked "What the heck, Groose?! Why do you have to insist on being such a jerk to my best friend?"

"You mean Zelda, that worthless orphan with the freaky elf-ears? You really shouldn't put so much faith in her anyway. I mean, she's obviously no good for you. Especially since I, the immortal Groose, the most handsome, toughest, and most awesome person in Ordon, is standing just in front of you."

"Don't you mean the most insensitive, rudest and selfish trash in all of Hyrule?"

"Hey, that was uncalled for. What have I ever done to you?"

"Do you really want me to answer that, because I think I actually wrote a list?"

"Come on, Ilia, don't be like that. It was just a joke, no harm done."

Ilia then pointed a finger in Groose's face before she warned "Well, in case it hasn't stuck into your mind yet, _I_ am the mayor of this village, and, as mayor, I am telling you to keep your stupid 'jokes' away from Zelda."

"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do if I don't?"

Having known him for a long time, Ilia knew exactly what his weakness was, and she was not above using it.

"I can cut off your ridiculous haircut."

As soon as those words were uttered, Strich began to slowly back away from the scene. His fears turned out to be pretty warranted when Groose's face shifted from amusement to barely contained fury.

He then declared "Nobody, and I mean _nobody_ , disses Groose's pompadour."

Realising she hit a nerve, Ilia let out a sly grin and said "Think about it…Groose." before she turned on her heel and left him to vent his anger on his own.

When she was out of earshot, and he realised that Strich had also left him alone, Groose muttered "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…" before he decided to go and find something more productive to do.

* * *

When the sun had fully set and only the faint light emanating from the Twilight Realm lit up the sky, Fado and Zelda could finally say that their job was done. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't painless, but they made it.

As Zelda leaned against the wooden railing outside the house and let herself get some fresh air, Fado patted her on the back and said "Y'all did good there, Zelda. Ah dunno if Ah'd be able to get it done in time if you hadn't helped."

Zelda let out a small smile before she asked "So…does this mean I get a raise?"

"Not a chance. Don't forget that yer partly responsible for this mess happenin'."

"Fair point, I guess I'm not really the goat herding type."

"Then what kind of type are ya?"

"I don't know. I just feel like I'm meant for something more than…goats. No offence."

"None taken."

"Sometimes when I look at the horizon, when I see the edges of our village, I have always felt like I've wanted to go out there and explore. To see the mountains of Snowpeak, the great castle in Hyrule, and even that Darkwood place I've heard about. It almost feels like…the world outside is calling to me. Do you know what I mean?"

Fado thought about that long and hard, but eventually answered "No, Ah don't."

Zelda shook her head and said "Never mind, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Don't forget that our guest is coming not long after breakfast, so ya better be on yer best behaviour when he comes."

"I'll keep that in mind." Zelda answered while beginning to head for her home.

* * *

Zelda never had any idea who her parents were, or why they didn't raise her themselves. The only thing she knew about them was that at least one of them was a Hylian. While she would never deny how much she wanted to know the truth, she was more than happy with the family she had.

Her mother was named Uli and was the person Zelda was closest to personally. She could confide everything in her, and Uli would never fail to be there for Zelda. Her father was Rusl, an accomplished swordsman who was appointed as Ordon's protector in times of need. Zelda had taken a lot of lessons in both swordplay and archery with him so that she could protect the village when he wasn't around. She also had a younger brother named Colin. He never really liked violence and was just as much of a social outcast as Zelda herself was, though nobody could deny just how brave he could be when the situation called for it.

While none of them were related in any way to Zelda in blood, she still considered them her family, and she wouldn't trade them for the world.

When Zelda reached her family's house on the other end of the village from where Ilia's place was, she was quite exhausted from all the work she had to do, but the familiar scent of Uli's pumpkin soup brought some amount of energy back to her the moment she smelled it.

Opening the front door, Zelda could already see that the rest of her family had already gathered at the dinner table and that a bowl of soup had already been prepared for her.

She took a seat next to Colin and opposite of her parents and didn't waste any time before she hungrily began to eat her soup.

Uli was the one to start the conversation when she asked "So…how did things go with Ilia's house?"

Zelda put down her spoon dejectedly and let out a deep sigh before she answered "It…could have gone better. By Farore, rushing things like we did is exhausting as heck."

"Ilia told me what Groose did. I have half a mind to find his mother and tell her what he's been up to lately."

"Didn't we do that about eight times already?"

"Well…yes, but maybe nine times is what it takes to get the message across."

"I doubt it."

Zelda then chose to change the topic and ask "So, dad, has anything interesting happened out there in the world?"

Before Rusl could answer, Colin intervened and asked "Did you hear that the prince had Tingle arrested?"

"No, who's Tingle?"

"You know that strange man in the tight green clothes flying around on that balloon, the one Talo shot down with his slingshot?"

"Oh, right. That guy. What was he arrested for anyway?"

Rusl answered "Apparently, Prince Vaati tried to buy some maps from him, but quickly became angered when Tingle put some unreasonable prizes on them. In retaliation, Vaati threw him in the dungeon."

"Can he really just imprison a man for having too steep prizes?" Uli questioned.

"Prince Vaati is not like any ruler Hyrule had ever had before. Defy him and you're thrown in the dungeon, or in many other cases…you're dead. What he did to Tingle was far from the worst of what I've heard him do to people who disappoint him. Which, among other things, is why we must make the best effort we can to not disappoint the Royal Lord he sent here tomorrow."

Colin asked "Why did they put him in charge in the first place?"

"From what I've heard was he the only one who could claim the throne. With the king _and_ queen gone, Vaati was the only one with an official connection to the Royal Family. He _was_ married to Princess Alenia before she died."

"That doesn't sound like a good way to choose a leader."

"It isn't. But it's not our place to decide either."

For about a minute or so, the family continued to eat in silence. After a while, Uli noticed that her daughter was staring off into space with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Zelda, is something wrong?"

The Hylian got back to reality and asked "Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's just that it looks like something is bothering you. Would you care to tell us what it is?"

"Well it's…nothing really, just some strange dreams I can't stop thinking about."

"What dreams?" Rusl asked.

"I don't know. It's all a bit of a blur, but they all seem to be the same. I remember standing on some kind of tower somewhere while looking at a man with long purple hair and red eyes. I have no idea who he is, but for some reason he…frightens me. Then the dream usually ends with this glowing red eye staring at me, and I suddenly feel so very small against it. But that's all I remember of it really."

Something about that made Rusl grow concerned and ask "Did you say that the man had purple hair and red eyes?"

"Yes I did, why?"

"Do you remember anything else about him?"

"I guess he was…a bit pale, and…I think I saw some kind of black marking on his cheek. Why are you asking?"

"Your description of this man is strikingly similar to someone I have seen before: Prince Vaati."

"Wait, _that_ was Prince Vaati?!"

"It does seem that way."

"But…why would I dream about a man I have never even seen before?"

Uli suggested "Maybe you saw a picture of him somewhere and you somehow remembered that. I don't know. My dreams rarely ever make sense either."

Rusl warned "Whatever the case, I would suggest not bringing this up to the Royal Lord when he gets here."

"Why not?" Zelda questioned.

"He is one of Vaati's most loyal servants and wouldn't hesitate to report anyone who even looks at Vaati the wrong way. He has…a bit of a reputation, to put it mildly."

"What's his name?"

"Lord Ghirahim."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Notes
> 
> Greetings one and all. My name is Flufux and I'm the Velociraptor-looking alter ego of a 21-year-old guy from Sweden (who shall remain nameless). And this…is my new and improved version of my first fanfiction, which (at the time) could have been better. So now after learning a lot of things concerning writing and whatnot, I decided to give this story another go.
> 
> Still, I desire any and all feedback you can give at me…except flames. If you don't like something in this story, politely tell me what it is so I can learn from my mistake, no need to be rude. If there is something you are wondering about or is confused by, ask me about it and I will clarify things for you. If you like my story, please tell me what you liked about it…or just shower me with praise, whatever floats your boat.
> 
> The point is, please leave a comment or review somewhere or sometime. Getting no response at all from you is like working without pay, and it frankly breaks my heart a little.
> 
> So let's get started, shall we?
> 
> One thing that I want to make perfectly clear with this story is that it will not be about Link. He may receive a lot of mentions and a few isolated cameos, but he is not a major character at all. This story will be about Zelda's quest to become a hero, not Link's. That means Zelda will not be rescued by him, nor will she fall in love with him.
> 
> I never was a fan of Zelink anyway.
> 
> Also, this story is not based on any one game. It is in fact meant to be a completely new era taking place after Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures in the Child Link Timeline (yes, it will follow the official Zelda timeline).
> 
> Some of the characters like Ilia, Groose, Rusl, Uli, Colin and Fado are not the same versions as the ones we are familiar with, but reincarnations with only very small differences (for example Groose is an Ordonian rather than a Hylian). I figured there must be a lot of people who reincarnate in the Legend of Zelda universe, for example: Link, Zelda, Tingle, Beedle, Impa etc.
> 
> I know it can be a little confusing, but it was either that or a LOT of original characters. And that would have been very boring if I'm honest.
> 
> However, not all canon-characters are reincarnations, as Vaati, Ghirahim and other really old characters are the very same ones that appeared in their respective games. And speaking of canon characters, this story will feature characters and references from all over the Zelda series, even those that come from different timelines.


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